Manufacture of lead pipe



(No Model.)-

J. FARRELL.

' MANUFACTURE OF LEAD PIPE.

No. 269,651. Patented D0.,26, 1882.

UNiTnn STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOHN FARRELL, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

MANUFACTURE OF LEAD PIPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,651, dated December26,1882,

Application filed August 26, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, JOHNFARRELL,a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburg, county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented or discovered a new and useful improvement in the Manufactureof Lead Pipe; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,concise, and exact description thereof, reference being had'to theaccompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in whichlikeletters indicating like parts Figure 1 isa. vertical sectional viewofparts of a pipe-press illustrative of my invention. Fig. 2 isaperspeotive view of a pipecoiling drum, illustrative ofthe operation ofcoiling the pipe. Fig. 3 is a sectional perspective view of a pipe coil.Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detached views to an enlarged scale, showing indifferent positions an adjustable shaping device attached to the core ofthe press for giving the desired form in cross-section to the pipe as itis delivered from the press. Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional views of pipe,illustrative of the forms given it in carrying out my invention.

Inthe' manufacture of lead pipe it is customary to wind it on acylindrical drum or reel into bundles or coils in order to put it intoconvenient form for subsequent handling; hutas heretofore practiced suchwinding or coiling involves permanentinjury t0 the pipe, in that thepipeis flattened or distorted somewhat, or is reduced from a round to anoval or elliptical form in cross-section also, the operation ofunwinding the pipe for use,instead ofremoving such distortion, actuallyincreases it, and gives the pipe a still more flattened form.Consequently such a pipe which has been coiled or reeled andstraightened for use has its area of passage or conducting capacitymaterially reduced from what it would have been if it were round. Thisdistortion is especially noticeable on and injurious to the larger andlighter grades of lead pipe, and it involves a waste of money andmaterials which it is desirable, for economical reasonsto avoid; and italso causes more or less trouble in plumbing operations.

My present invention relates to certain improvements in the manufactureand coiling of lead pipe by which such injurious distortion of the pipeby coiling is wholly orpractically prevented; and, in general terms, itconsists in giving the pipe an oval or flattened form as it leaves thepress, by means presently described, and then winding or coiling suchflattened pipe in the plane of its greatest diameter, whereby thedistorting action involved in coiling tends to reduce the flattened oroval form previously given; and, also, when such coil is unwound foruse, the action on the pipeincident to such straightening will wholly orpractically restore the pipe to a full round form, or much nearer aroundform than could be secured by methods of handling or coiling heretoforepracticed.

In carrying out my invention a pipe-press of any suitable form andconstruction may be employed-such, for example, as are now in commonusein the art.

In Fig. l I have illustrated parts of one form of press suitable for thepurposes of my invention, in which A represents a presscylinder having acylindrical lead-chamber A therein. This cylinder rests upon asupporting-block, B, which latter also serves as a support for the corea,- aconcave socket, I), being formed in the upper extremity of thepassage b, and a rounded shoulder, a, in the stem of the core is seatedin such socket. Adjustingscrews BB are provided for adjusting the corelaterally, so as to set it in the axial line of the chamber A and in thecenter of die 0,

' connected in the usual way with the ram of a hydraulic or other press,whereby the requisite powerandmotioninay be secured forforcingtheplunger through the chamber A, and thereby causing the lead to exudethrough thedie-opening. around the core, and forming it into pipe in theusual way. I have illustrated the dieopening and the core circular inform, adapted to make round pipe, as in Fig.7,this being the formusuallygiven in manufacture. As before stated, my invention contemplateschai'iging this form from round to oval, flattened, or elliptical, and Iprefer to do this by pressure applied within the pipe as it leaves thecore in its passage from the machine. This I do by means of a plug orshaping device, E, secured to the end of the core, such plug or devicepresenting, by preference, an exterior outline in all cross-section overthe whole or a part of its circumference of the oval 0r flattened formwhich it is desired to give to the pipe. This plug may be solid orexpansible. Iprefer, however, to make it expansible, in order that itmay be adjusted for different grades and sizes of pipes without troublefrom removing and replacing. have shown such an expansible deviceconstructed of two half-rounded pieces, 0 c, tapering somewhatlongitudinally,and having external flanges or collars e on the convex orrounded sides, which collars are reduced at the edges 0 of the pieces 6sufliciently to permit of the insertion of the collared end of eachpiece into a chambered socket, a, made in the outer end of the core.Grooves c are also made in the inner flat faces of these pieces 0 e, anda taper-headed screw, F, is passed through such grooves and screwed intoa threaded hole, a made in the end of the core. The screwthus serves thedouble purpose of securing the dev'ice to the core by pushing thecollars 0 outward under the rim 0 which projects partially over thesocket a and also of spreading the parts 0 as it is screwed in. Thepressure of the surrounding pipe, which passes over this plug as it isdelivered from the machine, presses the pieces 0 e firmly upon the headof the bolt. By turning the screw backward or out the pieces 0 6 will bepressed toward each other and the plug be reduced in size. In this waythe pieces may be spread more or less, so as to adapt the device for usein pipes differing somewhat in size and weight. To this end I make thetransverse width of the inner faces of the pieces 0 e at their largestpart equal to or a little less than the smallest diameter which it isdesired to give the flattened pipe. This may be done, since the devicewill give the desired form by pressing upon two opposite sides of thepipes. Such pressure is secured by setting the rounded side ofthe piecesoutside of the line of the core surface sufliciently to give the desiredfiat or oval form by enlarging the diameter in one direction andreducing it at right angles to the enlargement, as represented in Fig.8. As such flattened pipe is delivered from the machine it is wound inthe plane of its greatest diameter upon anysuitabledrum or reel, D. Suchwinding or coiling reduces the greater and enlarges the smaller diameterand brings the pipe more nearly to a round form, as represented in Fig.3; but by preference the flattening in the press is somewhat more thanwill be remoy'cd by once coiling, so that the pipe, when coiled,willstill be outofround and its greatest diameter will still be in theplane of coilin \Vhen this coil is unwound for use the binding of thepipe in the plane of its greatest diameter will reduce that diameterstill more, and will correspondingly increase the smaller diameter,thereby bringing the pipe to or approximately to a round form.

By adjusting the shaping-plug E properly with reference to the size andweight of pipe being made, such a degree of flattening or suchdifference in diameters may be secured that after coiling andstraightening, as above described, the pipe shall. have practically around form and possess thefull carrying capacity of a round pipe. Thisadjustment can readily be determined by the skilled workmen, and it willvary somewhat with different conditions of manufacture; but forinch-and-aquarter pipe, extra light, the difference in (liameter givento the pipe before coiling should be in ordinary cases about one-eighthof an inch; for thesame size pipe, strong, about one-sixteenth of aninch, and for two-inch pipe about double the ditferences abovenamed.Apipe so formed will after coiling and straight.- ening in the plane ofits greatest diameter be practically round, and in substantially thecondition in which it would be if made round in the first instance andnever coiled or bent. It is therefore much superior to pipe made andcoiled in the usual way, in which a permanent distortion is imparted tothe pipe both in coilinganduneoiling. Suchdistortionnotonlyimpairs thecarrying capacity of apipe, and thereby detracts from its utility andvalue, but also is very difficult to remove by methods convenient toplumbers and users; and where a round form is particularly desired it isacommon expedientwith them to resort to a mallet and block and pound itapproximately to the desired shape. By my improvement all thisdifficulty is effectually removed, for as the plumber or user unwindsthe coil made in accordance with my invention the pipe is delivered foruse free from such distortions. A coil thus formed of oval,flattened,orelliptical pipe and coiled or wound in the plane of its greatestdiameter is readily distinguishable by the exterior oriuteriorshape ofthe pipe, and is a desirable, useful, and highly advantageous article ofmanufacture, use, and sale in the art or trade. In forming such a coilin accordance with my invention various means may be employed other thanthose described for giving the pipe the desired oval,flattened, orelliptical form preliminary to coiling. For example, an oval, flattened,or elliptical core and die opening may be employed, whereby the pipe ismade in such form in the first instance; or outside pressure may beapplied to the pipe on opposite sides by rolls, dies, or other means,whereby the pipe is reduced from a round form; or other equivalentexpcdients may be resorted to, which, in so far as they impart thedesired oval, flattened, or elliptical form to the pipe before andpreparatory to ceiling, I consider as coming within my invention. Iprefer,however, the adjustable shaping device herein described, whichimparts the desired shape by inside pressure upon the pipe. \Vithoutside pressure there is danger of compression or of reducing the sizeof the pipe, especially as the pipe is delivered hot and comparativelysoft, and with an oval-shaped die and core there is increased difficultyin keeping them centered IIO or in proper Working relation to produceuniform thickness in the pipe-walls. For these and similar reasons Iprefer the construction described and shown. Also, instead of making theplug E separate from the core, it may be made with and practically apart of it, and either expansible or solid; but such construction wouldbe inconvenient in use, and for that reason undesirable. This improvedmechanism, however, withits various modifications, as above described,by means of which the pipe is flattened preparatory to coiling orreeling", is not claimed herein, but will form the subjectmatter of aseparate application for patent.

I claim herein as my invention 1. A coil of lead pipe, such pipe beingof oval, flattened, or elliptical form in cross-section and wound orcoiled in the plane of its greatest diameter, substantially as setforth.

2. The improvementherein described in the art of preparing lead pipe,consisting in giving the pipe an oval, flattened, .or elliptical formand coiling or reeling it by bending in the plane of its greatestdiameter, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

S HARVEY THOMPSON, U. L. PARKER.

